Has anyone experienced a great decline in cholesterol while on tx?

[goldyn]

I just got my blood work back and my cholesterol went from 215 to 160 never has been that low since i was 20 am 42 now, I have been on tx going on 40 weeks, and im trying to figure out what would cause the drop, I have heard others say thier cholesterol was lower too, my absnuets are at 1.5 hemo went up to 11.8 on procrit 15,000 a week for 5 weeks, also has anyone experienced a rise in heart rate, and high blood pressure while on tx?

[jmjm530]

Yes. And Yes.

I had a similar cholesterol drop starting at week 2 or 3 and it continued to remain low throughout treatment regardless how I ate. I did find one study that suggested it was the inteferon and my doctor confirmed.  That's the good news. The bad news is that two weeks after starting treatment my cholesterol went back up, perhaps a little higher. Same with my triglicerides (triglycerides). Like yourself, blood pressure also rose a bit on treatment. Not sure if it was the treatment drugs or the helper drug Procrit.

[jmjm530]

meant cholesterol went up after *stopping* treatment, not as written. Anyway, enjoy those high-fat foods while you can :)

[goldyn]

Boy I sure would love to keep that cholesterol number after tx, but the old saying goes anything that comes that easy ,will surley leave just as quick, Jm did they start you on a high blood pressure pill if so which one did you find that worked well?

[jmjm530]

I started with a water pill, then added Cozaar which would have been the equivaanet of taking Hyzaar (Cozaar plus water pill), then dropped the water pill and took only Cozaar, then took myself off of them cause I was having problems with side effects and was trying to eliminate medications. My BP was generally between 140/80 and 165/100 so I figured I could last out treatment without the pills. Now that you mention it, probably about time I take my BP again.

-- Jim

[motheroffour]

Are there any BP meds people should not take.  H starts treatment finally this week.  He takes Lisonoprinol (spelling?) also called Zosteretic (again not sure of spelling).  He's the stage 3/4 probable chirotic according to bx. Hep C for over 25 years detected last year.  His BP is 120/72 consistently with the dosage he takes and family doc says stay on it. He's been taking BP meds since his early 30s.  Gastro hasn't told him to stop.  His high BP is hereditary as he's normal/great weight and athletic and has a family history of high BP.  We have one son under the age of 20 who has already developed borderline high BP confirming the dx of heriditary.

[FlGuy]

My ldl went up on tx. Since tx ended it went back down.  But pre-tx it was 65, on tx up to 105.  Now, back in the 60's.  Doc's think it's the hcv, not necessarily tx.

[returntosender]

Just got my three month (actually 14 week) post tx bloodwork back and my cholesterol is 160 as well.  All my heart related measurements came out great. More amazing though is that my AST is 24 and ALT 22!  I dont think I ever had such low numbers!  Started tx with ALT around 360 and AST around 245.  

I didnt get the Heptimax back yet but I have to assume that the low enzymes are a good sign huh?  After three months the virus would be working on the liver I would think.  But everything is back to normal - HCT, HGB, platelets, MCH, ANC, thyroid all perfect!  What a freakin miracle.  Before, during and after finishing tx nothing was in limits.

There was one thing though, my testosterone was pretty low.  Not sure if it is tx related or hepc related.  Anyone else have low testosterone after tx?  It does explain the facial flushing (hot flashes!) and depression, lack of motivation and some of the other symptoms I was worried about and attributing to the Riba and Peg.

[returntosender]

Testosterone is 200 not within normal limits.  I havent had it checked for a while but do not remember it being low before.  Pretx cholesterol was up in the 200 range somewhere.  In the last few years it started to rise above the 200 but it has now dropped to the 160 - where it was when I was younger.  Maybe improved liver function or something. Just noticed Beagle mentioning his enzymes really low even though virus is high - guess I have to wait for actual test results to get my hopes up.  Glad I noticed his post as I was getting a bit upbeat almost.

[copyman]

as i have posted before i believe cholestrol, bp, and glucose all have a direct correlation to hcv. not really sure about bp but cholestrol & glucose i feel are realted to having hcv. i happen to have slightly higher then normal on all three of them. i think we will hear more about this in the future.

[jmjm530]

Copy,

LDL cholesterol and HCV share the same receptors, so yeah, wires are being crossed. I just modified my diet a little and hopefully  cholesterol and triglycerides will come down or it will be StatinVille for me pretty soon :)

Return,

If you're below normal limits, probably time to talk to your doc about testosterone replacement therapy. Major downside is you will have to stop taking it in the event you decide to enter the Tourd de France. BTW were you able to find a paper or something that suggests low testosterone causes flushing? Like I said, I've read the opposite and therefore am reluctant to embark on testosterone therapy. However, if my testosterone was below normal I would seriously consider it. Good luck.

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

LOL. It is confusing. I did find one article that suggested low testosterone causes flushing but then another that high test cause the sabaceous glands to be overactive which I believe also  can cause pimples and flushing. http://www.internationalrosaceafoundation.org/symptoms.php4
Couldn't find any articles that directly talk about testosterone replacement therapy and rosacea but I'll keep looking.

[jmjm530]

Look under "other" in "What are the risks of therapy"
http://www.pamf.org/patients/testosterone.html
Who really knows?

[jmjm530]

Is your testosterone within normal limits or just lower than before? My testosterone was within normal limits both during and after treatment but I think it dropped some post treatment, I'll have to check.

In any event, I also have facial flushing (rosacea) as a side effect of treating, but my scant research on the subject is that adding testosterone in the form of patches or cream would tend to aggravate rosacea, not help. Please let me know if you have any studies that suggest otherwise.

Your bloodwork sounds promising and good luck with the Heptimax. I am curious though about your cholesterol. You say it's 160 three months post treatment. Do you happen to know what it was pre-treatment and during treatment.

All the best.

-- Jim

[sfbaygirl]

I just had a big bowl of ice cream due to your post. I don't know what mine is at the moment, but it was a good excuse! LOL

[returntosender]

Google "low testosterone" and first non paid hit is for Medem - look under "physical symptoms" - basically male menopause, maybe normal, maybe accelerated by tx or caused by tx.  There are several treatments not just the patches - read toward bottom of page for tx. Interesting link on Google a few lines down about diabetes and low testosterone - seem to go hand in hand but apparently not sure how they are related. Notice in the Medem article that sides from tx is "too frequent or persistent erections" - yea just what I need at this point in my life - another tool that I'll never use, my garage is full of em.

[goldyn]

THANK YALL FOR ALL YOUR RESPONSES,JMJM MY BLOOD PRESSURE IS RUNNING ALMOST IDENTICLE TO YOURS, AND LIKE YOU I WOULD RATHER NOT TAKE ANOTHER PILL..